Exploring Independence Day Customs in the United States

Independence Day is a national holiday marked by patriotic displays. Per 5 U.S.C. § 6103, Independence Day is a federal holiday, so all non-essential federal institutions (such as the postal service and federal courts) are closed on that day. While the legal holiday remains on July 4, if that date happens to fall on a Saturday or Sunday, then federal government employees will instead take the day off on the adjacent Friday or Monday, respectively. Other non-essential services that are non-government-related may also be closed. 

Families often celebrate Independence Day by hosting or attending a picnic or barbecue; many take advantage of the day off and, in some years, a long weekend to gather with family members or friends. Parades are often attended in many towns and cities, some being hours-long, with many floats and participants. Parades are often held in the mid-late morning(before get-togethers), with longer spectacles sometimes extending into the early afternoon. Fireworks displays typically occur in the evening, at such places as parks, harbors, off of boats, sporting venues, fairgrounds, public shorelines, or town squares. Decorations (e.g.,streamers, balloons, and clothing) are generally colored red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag, and many homes and businesses will decorate their properties with miniature American flags.

The night before the Fourth was once the focal point of celebrations, marked by raucousgatherings, often incorporating bonfires as their highlight. In New England, towns competed to build towering pyramids, assembled from barrels and casks. They were lit at nightfall to usher in the celebration. The highest ever were in Salem, Massachusetts, with pyramids composed of as many as forty tiers of barrels. These made some of the tallest bonfires ever recorded. The custom flourished in the 19th and 20th centuries and is still practiced in some New England and northeastern towns. 

Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs, such as “The Star-Spangled Banner” (the American national anthem); “Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean“; “GodBless America“; “America the Beautiful“; “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee“; “This Land Is YourLand“; “Stars and Stripes Forever“; “Yankee Doodle“; “God Bless the U.S.A.” and “Dixie” (in southern states); “Lift Every Voice and Sing“; and occasionally (but has nominally fallen out of favor), “Hail Columbia“. Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812.

Firework shows are held in many states, and many fireworks are sold for personal use or as an alternative to a public show. Safety concerns have led some states to ban fireworks or limit the sizes and types allowed. In addition, local and regional conditions may dictate whether the sale or use of fireworks in an area will be allowed; for example, the global supply chain crisis following the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellations of shows. Some local or regional firework sales are limited or prohibited because of dry weather or other specific concerns. On these occasions, the public may be prohibited from purchasing or discharging fireworks, but professional displays (such as those at sports events) may still take place.

A salute of one gun for each state in the United States, called a “salute to the union”, is fired on Independence Day at noon by any capable military base. 

New York City has the largest fireworks display in the country sponsored by Macy’s, withmore than 22 tons of pyrotechnics exploded in 2009. It generally holds displays in the East River. Other major displays are in Seattle on Lake Union; in San Diego over Mission Bay; in Boston on the Charles River; in Philadelphia over the Philadelphia Museum of Art; in San Francisco over the San Francisco Bay; and on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. During the annual Windsor–Detroit International Freedom Festival, Detroit, Michigan, hosts one of the largest fireworks displays in North America, over the Detroit River, to celebrateIndependence Day in conjunction with Windsor, Ontario‘s celebration of Canada Day. 

The first week of July is typically one of the busiest United States travel periods of the year, as many people use what is often a three-day holiday weekend for extended vacation trips.